Software as a training tool

As with anything in life, you will get at least a little value out of
everything that you do. That being said we often tend to pick and
choose those things that give us the most value on a time to benefit
basis. How much benefit you will get out of these poker games will be
determined by the level of player you are, and also intangibles such as
how much you enjoy playing poker against PC based games.

First, take a look at Amazon and read all the reviews for the software
that you are interested in buying. The reviews there tend to be pretty
good and from people who have played poker in real life. They will
give you an idea of what the competition is like on any one of those
games. Most get pretty much lack luster reviews. Some get fairly good
reviews, so you just need to pick and choose. If you find yourself
attracted to those types of games, you certainly won't go wrong by
playing them as far as entertainment value goes, but the danger you may
face is that you learn to beat the game, but not other players. The
good things about these games (at least some of them) is that you will
get good graphics and an interesting story line.

Poker Academy Pro and Turbo Texas Hold'em are the best AI you will face
in any game. You won't get the flashy UI or any story line. These two
programs you also won't likely find at Best Buy. They are serious
games for the serious player who wants to tweak the AI in his opponents
to learn to play against certain player types that he/she may be having
a problem facing. These games feature AI that can react to the changes
you are making (as can a human player) and it creates opponents that
are far more challenging to beat.

So in the end, you should be able to beat any game you can get from
Best Buy. If you are just starting out, its a good way to learn the
basics of the game and a basic strategy. You will be far more prepared
if you play these games than if you don't play them at all.

If you want to play for free with good opponents, try working your way
up the ladder of play money tourney games at Stars. The people there
are very challenging and are live bodies. BUt since you are only
asking about the games you have found at Best Buy, I won't go into it.

Anyway, Good Luck!!
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Folderol wrote:
> Hey y'all ---
>
> I was browsing through Best Buy yesterday and checking out the poker
> software. Negreanu has a game out, Cloutier, etc. A few of these boast
> not only realistic play but also tools (odds calculators, advice,
> etc).
>
> My question: has anyone messed with any of these? Are any worth the
> money? I want to get a lot better than I am (which isn't very good),
> and I figured one of these has to be sort of like "ChessMaster".
>
> Thoughts?
>
> Thanks!
 >> Stay informed about: Software as a training tool 

Both Poki and Turbo are very fine software programs.

However, Poker is about playing against people.

Maybe a better route would be to get a poker tool (odds calculator) and
play free or low limit games against real opponents at Party or one of
the other rooms.

a) Playing against real players, b) Playing in real environment.

If you choose this route, see http://www.online-poker-tools.com for a
complete selection.

Good luck!


Folderol wrote:
> Hey y'all ---
>
> I was browsing through Best Buy yesterday and checking out the poker
> software. Negreanu has a game out, Cloutier, etc. A few of these boast
> not only realistic play but also tools (odds calculators, advice,
> etc).
>
> My question: has anyone messed with any of these? Are any worth the
> money? I want to get a lot better than I am (which isn't very good),
> and I figured one of these has to be sort of like "ChessMaster".
>
> Thoughts?
>
> Thanks!
 >> Stay informed about: Software as a training tool 

Folderol wrote:

> My question: has anyone messed with any of these? Are any worth the
> money? I want to get a lot better than I am (which isn't very good),
> and I figured one of these has to be sort of like "ChessMaster".
>
> Thoughts?

I have to tell you, I'm probably the biggest tech geek on RGP. NT,
UNIX, Cisco, worked for the big IT houses.

But I think these programs are next to useless after your first year of
play. You can use AI to get the gist of betting patterns, archetypes,
and the like. But after that, there is NO substitute for live play if
you plan to play live, and real money play if you plan to play online.

If you are anything other than a freshly starting player, these
programs just don't help. Save your money and build yourself a bankroll.
 >> Stay informed about: Software as a training tool